Washington, Britain and France block it, partnering with Ankara and Riyadh, continuing support for ISIS and other terrorist groups, assuring endless conflict - foiling US/Russia announced cessation of hostilities terms before their implementation.

Expect no meaningful change for the better on the ground ahead. Obama’s war on Syria continues, its objective unchanged - destroying Syrian sovereignty, replacing it with another US vassal state, looting its resources, exploiting its people, eliminating an Israeli rival, isolating Iran ahead of targeting its independence the same way.

Washington deplores peace and stability. Achieving them defeats its imperial objectives. All its post-9/11 wars since October 2001 continue raging - with no resolution in sight, a key indication of what to expect in Syria going forward.

On Monday, White House press secretary Josh Earnest was less than optimistic, saying ceasefire “is going to be difficult to implement. We know that there are a lot of obstacles, and there are sure to be some setbacks.”

Cessation of hostilities “will only succeed if there is a major change of behavior by the Syrian regime and its backers.”

“Russia, in particular, must honor this agreement by ending its attacks on Syrian civilians and moderate opposition groups, and by using its influence to ensure the Syrian regime does the same.”

Moscow and Washington will work with pro-Western UN envoy to Syria Steffan de Mistura, a US-appointed stooge, aiming to assure all parties abide by ceasefire terms.

So far, no meaningful mechanism was established to mediate reported violations, no enforcement procedure, nothing to hold violators accountable.

Putin expressed optimism after years of failure to end violence, bloodshed and chaos - at the same time stressing “(s)trikes will continue to be carried out against” terrorist groups. They’re excluded from terms agreed on.

The deal calls for opposing parties to decide by Friday whether they’ll comply with cessation of hostility terms - terminology short of a formal, more binding, durable ceasefire.

A White House statement released after Obama and Putin spoke on Monday was guarded, welcoming the agreement with no assurance of success - maintaining the pretense of phony US war on ISIS.

Reality on the ground belies hope for achieving a breakthrough toward conflict resolution after years of failure.

It bears repeating what other articles stressed. Washington wants war, not peace. Obama didn’t launch it to quit.

Resolving it requires calling off his dogs, ending support for ISIS and other terrorist groups, cutting them off entirely, reigning in Ankara and Riyadh, deciding his Syria policy failed and moving on.

Realpolitik has no Hollywood endings. War in Syria rages with no end in sight.

Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago. He can be reached at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net.

His new book as editor and contributor is titled "Flashpoint in Ukraine: US Drive for Hegemony Risks WW III."

http://www.claritypress.com/LendmanIII.html

Visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com.

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